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<title>Celluloid Nightmare by lonesomehunter (decimare0)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28146723">Celluloid Nightmare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/decimare0/pseuds/lonesomehunter'>lonesomehunter (decimare0)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Celluloid Nightmare [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Captivity, Detective Noir, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Multiple Whumpees, Old Hollywood - Freeform, lady whumper, noir</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:28:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,040</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28146723</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/decimare0/pseuds/lonesomehunter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the golden age of Hollywood, a retired cop turned private eye must solve a mysterious disappearance in Tinseltown.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Celluloid Nightmare [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061957</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Celluloid Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Sing for me George darling.“ </p><p>Evelyn La Fleur is settled comfortably on the Victorian settee, her body draped elegantly across the emerald fabric like a cat relaxing in the sun. Twirling strands of his blood caked hair between her fingertips. The words floated down to him, making the ache in his ribs worsen. The request would require so much from his battered body. Evelyn had one of the armed mobsters left at  her disposal restrain him by securing his wrists to the leg of the loveseat. The thug they call Slim, who stared at him with a sick hunger whenever he was in the room. Slim poured her a scotch on the rocks before she sent him away. Leaving the two of them to their film screening in her darkened private theater.</p><p>"Serenade me to sleep like you used to back in my trailer, dear. I’m dreadfully tired.” Of course she was. The woman hardly slept in the week since he was brought to her. Instead she spent nearly every waking hour in her lavish home theater, forcing George to watch reel after reel of her pictures, alternating between manic punishment and saccharine affection.</p><p> For a full week before he was snatched, he felt a menacing presence lurking in the shadows everywhere he turned. Unable to shake the invisible eyes gazing upon him when he walks alone to his car after many late nights on the studio backlot. Hearing echoing footsteps at his heel. Turning around to find nothing but a shadow.  The hairs on his neck stand on end.</p><p>The shadow soon revealed itself to be L.A’s most sadistic mobster. George wasn’t surprised when he found himself on his knees in the living room of his duplex in Santa Monica. A switchblade pressed to his throat. </p><p>Louie Calabrese owed a favor to his favorite cinema goddess after she accepted an invitation to escort him to the opening of his exclusive new night club. The original plan to sweep her off her feet failing miserably when he finds himself entranced by her. Becoming her devoted slave after their very first meeting, he often spent nights kneeling at her feet.</p><p> Evelyn’s behavior towards George had begun to become increasingly concerning right before she shut herself away in her mansion in the Hills. She had gotten completely lost in her own mania. Begging him to leave the studio and be with her. He refused. She ran off the set, mascara tears streaking her face. Seemingly cutting off all contact with the outside world.</p><p>Six months later he was bound and gagged with two broken ribs in Louie’s trunk.</p><p>"No, Evelyn. You need to let me go. You can’t hold me here!” His gravelly pleas were growing desperate. She pulled his head back toward her on the sofa, and gazed deeply into his eyes. George relaxed for a moment, looking at her with hope. The hope that maybe he had finally reached her. She lovingly began to stroke his cheek, her feather light touch drifted across and stopped at the deep purple bruising that marred his skin.</p><p>“You’ll find that I can.” A calm warning before dragging her red painted claws across his day’s old stubble, blood blossoming in their wake. George’s ragged screams were drowned out by the action unfolding on the screen.</p><p>It was one of her most critically acclaimed roles as Darla Blackmore in the noir thriller The Tearless Farewell. Costarring James Cagney and Barbara Stanwyck. They watched it so many times he could recite all the lines, which Evelyn often made him do. Whispers about the dramatic decline in Evelyn’s mental state started around the time she lost the 1942 Best Actress Oscar to Joan Fontaine. All the Tinseltown gossip columns were abuzz when an alleged incident occurred at Calabrese’ night club, GiGi’s. Stabbing a poor cigarette girl in the leg with an oyster knife for knocking over a wine glass and ruining her Dior gown.</p><p>George was the poor sack chosen by Louie B. Meyer to be her assistant when the producers couldn’t find anyone brave enough to fill the job. They discovered his talent for calming any storm when he was able to coax Joan Crawford out of her trailer when she had yet another row with her scene partner Norma Shearer. After nearly two hours in the trailer, she sauntered back to set with George arm in arm with an air of bubbliness about her. As if she’d developed a school girl crush. George Hererra had that effect on everyone he met.</p><p>Evelyn slinks down into his lap and situates herself against his chest, resting her cheek against the heat radiating from his injured body. George stifles a groan at the pressure on his broken ribs.  </p><p>“I’ll do it. I’ll sing.” The man sighed. Knowing she wasn’t going to relent. “Only if you let me telephone my mother. Please Evelyn, she’s a very frail woman. She must be ill with worry." </p><p>"I’ll have to sleep on it.” She purred the empty promise against his chest. The risk of losing George forever was too high. Evelyn La Fleur vowed to love and cherish him with all the love left in her heart. George would have to do what he could to appease her.  Worried what would happen if she grew tired of resistance. </p><p>“Please darling. Just like old times.” She presses closer to him, feeling his body tense up with pain beneath her.</p><p>“What would you like me to sing?” He had no fight left in him. Eyelids growing heavy, the sandman called to him. Beaten for days on end by Calabrese’ men with no real sleep, his body was aching for rest.</p><p>“Oh you remember the one. While we filmed Flames of Santa Diabla. We danced and danced. What gaiety!” Evelyn lit up at the memory, closing her eyes and holding the memory at the forefront of her mind. George looks down at her with sorrow for a moment then starts his serenade.</p><p>
  <i>"Besame,</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Besame mucho</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Como si fuera ésta noche</i>
</p><p>
  <i>La última vez</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Besame, besame mucho</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Que tengo miedo a perderte</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Perderte después"</i>
</p><p>Out like a light, he feels her breathing slow. George continues to sing softly to himself gradually drifting off to Dreamland.</p>
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